SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos baseball team took both ends of Saturday's nonconference doubleheader over Concordia Portland in the program's first NCAA Divison II home games. Final scores were 6-1 and 8-4.
Senior shortstop
Tyler Place went 5-for-7 with two home runs, a double and three RBIs in the two games. Junior
Austin Ott (3-for-4) and sophomore
Anthony Rodriguez (3-for-5) each had three hits on the day.
The Cougars and Cavaliers will meet in the series finale tomorrow, Sunday, Feb. 18 at the CSUSM Baseball Field. First pitch is slated for 11 a.m.
GAME 1: CSUSM 6 – CU 1
The Cougars jumped out to an early first inning lead thanks to a leadoff solo home run by Place to deep right field.
CU would answer with a run in the top of the third to even the score at 1-1. Place once again would dig in with no one on and give the Cougars the lead back with his second home run of the game in as many at bats to make it 2-1 CSUSM after three innings.
The game would remain close until CSUSM was able to break it open with three runs in the fifth. The Cougars would add one more run in the seventh on an RBI single from junior
Isaias Torres to make it 6-1.
Junior starting pitcher
Mike Lopez (1-0) went seven strong innings, giving up just one run on three hits while striking out seven. The win is his first in a Cougar uniform.
CSUSM outhit the Cavaliers 12-4 for the game.
GAME 2: CSUSM 8 – CU 4
Unlike game 1, it was the Cavaliers to strike first. CU scored two first inning runs on three hits.
CSUSM's bats came alive in its bottom half of the second inning, scoring five runs on five hits capped by Ott's 2-out RBI double off the left field wall to make it 5-2 CSUSM after two innings.
The Cougars would add another run the very next inning on a towering blast over the left center field off the bat of junior
Domenic Antonacci. His first collegiate home run gave CSUSM a 6-2 lead heading to the fourth inning.
CU would get runs in the top of the fourth and fifth innings to cut the deficit to 6-4 but CSUSM added insurance runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to secure the win.
CSUSM junior starter
Taylor Greene (2-0) earned the win after going five innings, giving up four runs on six hits and striking out two. Juniors
Brady Corson and
Brandon Bachman worked out of the bullpen to record the final six outs.
